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Sidelined for nearly a month between June and July because of a left hamstring strain, Herrera returned to the Cardinals’ starting lineup on the last day before the All-Star break and made his return with a single on a ball he lined 105.1 mph to center field. He has since collected 10 hits, including a homer, and continued to produce hard contact in eight games to begin the second half of a season hampered by two injuries in his left leg.

“It’s just an everyday thing. You don’t know when you’re going to get that timing back,� Herrera said on Saturday before starting at designated hitter. “Like in the first couple of games, I could not see the ball well. I was swinging at everything. I was trying to work on the approach, trying to hit the ball the other way. Little by little, you’ll build that confidence back. That’s what I tried to do. It worked in the end.�

In nine games since he was activated from the IL near the middle of July, the 25-year-old Herrera has a .314 batting average and an .800 on-base plus slugging percentage. That production includes his three-hit performance in a Thursday win where he collected two RBIs, one of which came on a solo homer that had a 111.5 mph exit velocity, per Statcast. The 25-year-old continued to produce with two hits on Friday that marked his 18th multi-hit hit showing in 51 games this year.

For the year, Herrera owns a .319 batting average and a .393 on-base percentage. He is slugging .508 with eight doubles, nine homers, and 39 RBIs in 185 at-bats.

“Some guys have a lot of moving parts and need more games from a timing standpoint, but (Herrera is) a guy that got, I don’t know how many (rehab) at-bats, not many, and felt like he was ready to go,� Cardinal manager Oliver Marmol said on Saturday. “Even in his first game back, he squared up four straight balls. There are certain guys that … have that in them. He’s one of them.�

Herrera has remained at designated hitter in all nine of the games he’s played in his return from injury. With Pedro Pages assuming regular starting duties and Yohel Pozo as the immediate back at the catching spot, Herrera’s innings at catcher will be limited through as the Cardinals look to keep Herrera healthy through the rest of the season.

Could his run as a designated hitter amplify his offensive performance?

“Maybe,� Marmol said.

The Cardinals’ starting catcher on opening day this year, Herrera, made seven appearances at catcher across May and June after he had missed over a month because of a bone bruise in his left knee he sustained while running the bases.

Herrera said the two injuries in his left leg caused some added stress to his right leg and back as he tried to keep less weight off his left side. While he’s remained in a role as primarily a hitter, Herrera said the break from catching has allowed for a bit more focus on hitting and allowed his body to recover more efficiently.

“If I’m not catching it, it’s better for my body to recover, but it feels good,� Herrera said of his lower half. “I play wherever they tell me to play.�

When healthy, Herrera has produced a .400 batting average in 50 at-bats when hitting with a runner in scoring position and is batting .369 when he’s hit with runners in scoring position and two outs. On a Cardinals club that has hit .237 when facing left-handed pitchers, Herrera leads his team in batting average (.360) and homers (six) when facing lefties.

As he maintains a regular role in the Cardinals’ lineup, how much more could Herrera continue to grow?

“I think as he (Herrera) gets more and more at-bats, you’re going to see a guy that can use the whole field, who can hit for power,� Marmol said. “I think we’ll see more power come, but he just understands what the opposition is trying to do to him. He’s really good at that, and he has a swing path that can solve for a lot of different styles of pitching.�

Extra bases

Willson Contreras’ double to center field in the sixth inning of the Cardinals’ 3-0 win over the Padres on Friday marked the 28th double of the first baseman’s season, marking a single-season high. Contreras, who began Saturday leading all National League hitters in doubles, produced 27 doubles in 125 games during the 2023 season and reached that same mark in 138 games in 2018 when he was with the Cubs. He’s set a new career high in his first 99 games this year.

Starter Miles Mikolas’ five innings on Friday moved him ahead of former teammate Lance Lynn for the second-most innings at Busch Stadium III. Mikolas has totaled 553 innings in the Cardinals’ home ballpark.

The Padres’ loss on Friday marked the first time since 1998 that they were shut out despite having 11 or more hits in a game. The last time they were held scoreless on 11 or more hits came in a 6-0 loss to the Florida Marlins on Aug. 19, 1998.